Savannah and Casey were done waiting for life to start. After nearly a decade of living as roommates in a big city in the Southeast, the best friends decided they didn’t need a romantic partner to buy land, build a home, or chase the slower pace they’d been craving. Instead, they made a pact to do it together, and they were willing to sell almost everything they owned to make it happen.
Their confidence grew from years of small experiments in self sufficiency. They met while working at a restaurant, then built a shared routine around DIY projects, gardening, and even raising chickens with help from neighbors. They also started documenting their projects online through a blog and social media, using only their first names to keep their privacy. A monthlong camping trip in California became the final push, showing them how little they truly needed and how good it felt to live with fewer conveniences.
Money was the make or break piece, and an unexpected pandemic era side hustle helped. They found steady work installing stock tank pools, a trend that took off when people looked for budget friendly alternatives to hot tubs. With that income, plus a small personal loan, they gathered under $50,000 to buy rural land about two hours from a major city, pay for a driveway installation, and purchase the shell of a structure they could slowly convert into a home.
In 2021, they bought the land, sold off most of their belongings, and moved onto the property in a camper that October because they couldn’t afford to rent elsewhere while building. By December, a 12 by 32 foot building shell arrived, and they worked to make it livable enough to move in fully by March. It was far from finished, including a winter with no insulation, and they admit living inside an ongoing construction project is not for everyone, even if it’s sometimes the only realistic route.
@heywanderer Going off grid had been a journey, and there is plenty to do still. But everyday we get to live a little more comfortably and it keeps us moving. If you ever decide to go off grid, it will likely look much different, but here is a little peek into what we have been doing over the past 2+ years. #offgridliving #slowlivingtiktok #slowliving #slowlivingtiktok #offgridlife ♬ original sound – Country Sayings
Two years later, their to do list still never ends, but their system is getting stronger. They heat with a wood stove, share a bedroom, and rely on internet access as one of their few consistent bills. They completed a two year solar project, wiring panels to a battery bank and setting up power for daily life, after a period of relying on a portable solar generator and a camper battery. A $27,000 battery bank from Battle Born helped speed things up in exchange for social media content.
Their bathroom sits in a separate building they constructed, with a composting toilet and a shower warmed by a propane heater. They collect rainwater for kitchen tanks and occasionally lean on a neighbor for extra water, all while planning future trenching to run water and electricity across the property. Casey, who has Type 1 diabetes, returned to work as a nurse to help fund renovations and secure health insurance, while Savannah focuses full time on their home and growing their online income through the Hey Wanderer brand.
What do you think about building a home with a friend and choosing a slower, off grid life, and would you ever try something similar? Share your thoughts in the comments.
